The Chair (quiz show)
''The Chair '' is a Transmanian quiz show television programme of the New Zealand orgin that was produced by Big Synergy Productions and was premiered on the TBN network in September 5, 2002 and Sheryl Watson-Andrews was the host and the executive producer of the show with Brian Anderson producing. Each contestant is fitted with a heart monitor and given an excitement limit rate that is 60% more above their resting heart rate. Throughout the game, they must keep their heart-rate under their rate of an "excitement limit". The program offers the contestants the chance to win a top prize of £250,000 at the end of answering seven multiple choice questions. Before the Show Contestants on the program underwent extensive medical supervision before they ever made it to the actual game. They were given intelligence tests and had their heart monitored for several hours, among other diagnostic procedures such as seeing how the contestants would react to sudden surprises. If they were declared fit, they would move on to the game. Game play Format Once seated in the Chair, the contestant found him/herself looking up at a large video screen on which Watson-Andrews's image was displayed on which the host can see his/her heartbeat, as well as the information for the current question. He/she began with a stake of £5,000 and could increase it to a maximum of £250,000 by answering a series of seven multiple-choice questions. However, the contestant's heart rate was continuously measured throughout the game and compared to a "thrill line" threshold. This value started at 50% (later 60%) above the resting heart rate that is more than his/her normal pulse, and it was lowered by 5% of the resting heart rate after each question. For example, a contestant with a resting heart rate of 80 would have an initial thrill limit threshold of 128 or 136 (150% and 160% of the resting rate, respectively), which would drop by 4 (5%) after each question. Money was subtracted from the contestant's total for every second that his/her heart rate exceeded the excitement limit value ("thrill line"). In addition, he/she was ineligible to give an answer during this time; only while the heart rate was no higher than the threshold number could an answer be given. (thrill lining between questions, or while a question was being asked, carried no penalty.) The third question is an audiovisual question which involved recalling information from a video clip: the player was shown a series of images appeared on the screen and asked a question about one of them. As long as the contestant had money in the account and continued to answer questions correctly, the game continued. The game ended when one of the following events occurred: * Answering a question incorrectly * Losing all money by exceeding the excitement limit * Answering all seven questions correctly The question values and penalties for exceeding the limit are shown in the table below. If the contestant answered a question incorrectly, he/she left with whatever amount he/she had "fixed money" (see below). Correctly answering every question awarded the contestant all of the money in his/her account, for a potential top prize of £250,000 (if he/she had no thrill line penalties). Heartstoppers Before the third question was asked, the first was an interval heartstopper, the contestant has 45 seconds to answer as many quick-fire questions as possible in each correct answer adds 1 heartbeat to their rate and there is no thrill line penalty in this round. At one point during the contestant's campaign, a "heartstopper" event took place. The second heartstopper were designed to raise the heart rate which comes face to face with an alligator or a hive of bees or a large pendulum swinging just overhead, a fireworks or a fire crackling played around and then ending up with a helpless young woman scream being punished by being bitten/eaten/attacked and get herself messed up by a male diabolical zombie and jumps into his/her eyes after playing with her like in horror movies (as seen in the Fear Itself episode "The Sacrifice"). If the contestant could endure the event for less than 20 seconds, the event would end. If he/she went over the excitement limit rate, the event would continue until the heart rate was under control, and he/she would lose money at the rate of £400 per second from the previously answered question. Money Fixing After answering the £15,000 question correctly (for a potential prize of £35,000), the contestant earned the chance to "fix their money". Once during the rest of the game, he/she could exercise this option after a correct answer; if he/she missed a question or received three warnings, he/she would leave with the money won up to the fixed money point. However, if the contestant exceeding the excitement limit in the interim and went below the fixed money amount, the fixed money amount would fall and match the current prize amount. Production On March 2002, The Chair was cancelled by the ABC network in the United States and producer Harry Grant CEO of Touchdown Television has licensed the program to the United Republic of Transmania which is either hosted by a male person. On April of that year, Grant asked Sheryl Watson-Andrews to host the show and she was confident to host for the fall of that year. Watson-Andrews was introduced to the New Zealand version of the show in May 2002 by the producer Julie Christie of Touchdown Television. The show was confirmed in Turkey by Kanal D, United Kingdom by BBC1, New Zealand by TV2, France by TF1, Russia by STS and Spain by Telemadrid in late 2002. On August 11, It was announced that the programme will be confirmed by the TBN network to endure strong ratings. On August 26, it was announced that the show will produce 15 episodes to premiere on September 5, 2002. The show began tapings and airings on August 27 of the same year. Episodes Category:Game shows Category:2002 Transmanian television series debuts Category:2003 Transmanian television series endings Category:2000s Transmanian television series Category:TBN network shows